How To Work With Clear Space

What Is Clear Or Safe Space?

In comparison to bleed, which works to protect the outside areas of your label, clear space refers to the narrow interior area approximately 1/16 of an inch inside the dieline or cut line. Printing and die cutting machines are not perfect and tolerances of up to 1/32 of an inch can occur during the production process.

Only background colors, patterns and images should remain within the clear space. Placing the packaging’s required elements (text, images, borders, etc.) inside the clear space (1/16” in from dieline) will help to ensure that no functional elements are removed during the die cutting process.

Be sure that critical design elements are kept within the clearline.

Below are steps you can follow in each adobe program to ensure you have proper clear space alignment on your artwork for printing processes.

Keep in mind that with each software program, make sure to select CMYK color mode since these labels will be printed.

Setting Clear Space in Existing Adobe Illustrator Document

1. Open the document to be worked on in Adobe Illustrator.
   
2. Choose the Shape Tool that corresponds with the finished labels shape. It is recommended to select a Rectangle Tool Shape for a standard label. You will then see the Tool Shape appear somewhere on the document page. The outline of the Tool Shape will be in red. This will represent the Bleed.
3. Make sure the shape is still selected and go to the Align Panel. Check to see if the Rectangle Tool Shape is set to Align to Artboard.
4. Press the Horizontal Align Center and Vertical Align Center buttons. This will center the Rectangle Tool Shape in the middle of the document label (artboard).
5. Set the Height and Width Units to 1/16 inches or 0.0625 in for the Rectangle Tool Shape.
6. With the Rectangle Tool Shape still selected, click on View, Guides, and Make Guides. It should display a teal or blue border over the labels artwork which is the clear space.
7. Adjust desired information, texts, and shapes to fit inside the blue lines (clear space) by moving them in or scaling the elements down. If units were set correctly, then moving the design elements along the border of the blue lines should be fine.
8. If the design is finished and fits well within the clear space then go to File, Save.

Setting Clear Space in New Adobe Illustrator Document

1. Open Adobe Illustrator, go to File, New
   
2. Select Desired Letter Size, go to Orientation, click on Landscape.
3. Under Settings go to Marks and Bleeds and make sure your measure units such as Width and Height are set to inches.
4. Enter 1/16 inches or 0.0625 inches in the top, bottom, left, and right Bleed box.
5. Make sure CMYK is selected in Color Mode.
6. Create Document.
7. Click anywhere in the document and then go to the Tool Shape bar on the left side of the document. Based on the desired finished label shape choose a Tool Shape that corresponds with it. It is recommended to use a standard Rectangle Tool Shape for most labels.
8. A window for the selected Tool Shape will appear. Type in 1/16 inches into the Width and Height units. Press OK.
9. A red line in the shape of your selected Tool will appear on the document.
10. Click on the Tool Shape outlined in red. Go to Windows, Align, and select Align to Artboard.
11. Make sure your Tool Shape is selected. Scroll to the top of page and select Horizontal Align Center and Vertical Align Center Buttons. This will center the Tool Shape in the middle of the document label (Artboard).
12. Click on the red outlined shape, click on Object, Path, and Offset Path.
13. The Offset Path window will appear. Enter -1/16 inches in the Offset Unit. Select Preview to display a blue line square shape which will be the Clear Space. However, at this point it is not ready yet until the next step. Click OK.
14. Right click on the blue square inside the Artboard. Click on Make Guides. This will change the blue square into a teal which is the completed Clear Space.
15. Move desired font, images, logos, and other elements close to the Clear Space without passing over the teal line.
16. Press Save after the design is finished.

Setting Clear Space in Existing Adobe Photoshop File

1. Open Adobe Photoshop File to be worked on.
   
2. Set the Bleed, if it has not already been created. If you are unsure how to do this then follow our Bleed Instruction Guide.
3. Click on Image, and Canvas Size. Enter 1/16 in the Height and Width Unit.
4. Adjust Canvas Size to Inches near the Width and Height Units. Make sure the Relative Box is checked. Click OK.
5. A blue rectangle outline will appear in your document. Keep in mind this new blue rectangle outline will need to be inside the Bleed area. If not, then drag the guide lines to all 4 edges inside the document. This blue rectangle outline will represent the Clear Space of the document.
6. Move desired text and images within the blue rectangle outline for the finished look.
7. Go to File, and Save. Make sure to save the file as a PDF.

Setting Clear Space in New Adobe Photoshop File

1. Open Adobe Photoshop, go to File, New.
   
2. In the Height and Width Units, enter 1/16. Change the dimensions near Height and Width to Inches.
3. Type 300 into the Resolution Box and make sure it is set to Pixels/inch.
4. Change the Color Mode to CMYK since the label is being printed. Click OK. If done correctly, there should now be a white rectangle on your screen.
5. Click on View, New Guide Layout.
6. Deselect Columns and Rows until only Margins is checked off. Under Margin, type 1/16 inches in the top, left, bottom, and right box. Click OK.
7. A blue square line will appear along the inside of your document which will be the Clear Space.
8. Design the inside of the Clear Space with desired images and texts that are not wished to be removed during the printing cutting process.
9. Once the design is satisfactory and the desired images and texts are within the Clear Space press Save.

Setting Clear Space in Existing Adobe InDesign File

1. Open the file to be worked on in Adobe InDesign.
   
2. Go to File, open the dropdown menu, select Document Setup.
3. In the Export Adobe PDF window, go to Marks and Bleeds.
4. Click the box next to Crop Marks under the section titled Marks.
5. In the Export Adobe PDF window, make sure the number 1/16 or 0.0625 inches is in the top, bottom, inside, and outside box under Bleed. Click Export.
6. There should be an outer red line for Bleed and inside the white document will be a purple or pink line which represents the Clear Space.
7. Adjust the desired texts and images inside the purple and pink line. If left outside these areas then the desired font and image will be removed during the trimming process of printing.
8. Once you have finished moving the main information and images for your label you can proceed to the last step.
9. Open Export Adobe PDF, then open the dropdown menu next to Adobe PDF Preset, and select Press Quality. Make sure the check box next to Use Document Bleed Settings and Crop Marks is still checked off. Then click on Export.

Setting Clear Space in New Adobe InDesign File

1. Open Adobe InDesign, click File, New, Document.
   
2. In the Width and Height, enter 1/16 or 0.0625. Change the Width and Height Units to Inches.
3. Go to the section titled Margins. Type 1/16 inches in the top, inside, bottom, and outside box. This will create the Clear Space within your document.
4. Ignore this step if you have already set up the document Bleed. Look at the bottom of Export Adobe PDF window for the section titled Bleed and Slug. In the Bleed Units, enter 1/16 inches in the top, inside, bottom, and outside box. Do not type anything into the Slug units.
5. Click on Create and the page should display a red outline on the outside of your document which will represent the Bleed and a purple or pink line to represent the Clear Space.
6. Design your labels elements such as the main texts and images within the purple and pink lines. Remember, background images and colors must reach the Bleed to avoid displaying the borders from the paper it is being printed on.
7. Adjust the main images and texts within the Clear Space. Make sure the background design reaches the Bleed. Once these changes have been made and you are satisfied with the finished look proceed to the last step.
8. Export the document as PDF. Open Export Adobe PDF in the dropdown menu next to Adobe PDF Preset. Select Press Quality near the Adobe PDF Preset. Finally, click on Export.

Understanding The Importance Of Clear Space

Unfortunately, printers and die cutting machines are not perfect and slight shifts can occur during the printing or die cutting process. Setting up the clear space on your artwork ensures your labels text and images will align properly and won't be partially removed during the process.

If followed correctly, content within the clear space will not be removed and your packaging will look perfect.